There was a time.

Back in the day, spring break was not just a week-long holiday from the rigors of academic responsibilities for college study. It was something of a rite of passage. A sanctioned set of days to congregate with other college age kids on overcrowded popular beach town shores. A whole set of unwholesome behaviors, camera crews ready to record girls gone wild, local law enforcement and EMTs at the ready for when things went rogue. Those spring break days were a potent blend of carefree carousing and dangerous exploits. In 1985, an estimated 380,000 students descended on Ft. Lauderdale, which then led to around 2,500 arrests for disorderly behavior, public intoxication, and other kinds of illegal cavorting. 1 

Networks like MTV began producing reality shows about spring break. Shenanigans and crowds kept surging. By the mid-to-late 1990s, these types of issues led to several spring break destination areas to limit how many people could have access to beach areas and to cut back on marketing incentives meant to bring in more people.

So what does spring break look like today? And how can you as a parent, if you have a young adult in your life who is heading out for a spring break trip, speak into their decisions?

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

🏖️ First, it’s important to have a solid snapshot of what spring break means to Gen Z (people born between 1997-2012) and the up-and-comers of Gen A (people born between 2013-2025). While spring break for you may conjure up memories of things you’d rather forget or stories about the foolish or dangerous choices some of your friends made, the whole tradition of spring break and its wild reputation has shifted in recent years. The huge crowds of the past are not what typical spring break destination locations now experience. Today, you’ll likely encounter lots of families at warm coastal spots during spring break, not just packs of partying collegiants. 2   While spring break travel numbers are up, with an estimated 171 million people expected to travel during this time, many of those travelers are parents traveling with school age children, taking advantage of the season for a quick break before the push to the end of the school year. 3   This means that typical spring break destinations are catering more for families, for more wholesome adventures than the bacchanalias associated with old school spring breaks.

🍹 Further research is also showing that Gen Z and the oldest members of Gen A simply aren’t drinking as much as previous generations. 4   In fact, studies show that Gen Z is drinking 20% less than its next oldest age neighbors, the Millenials. Part of this shift may be because of Gen Z’s focus on mental wellness. 64% of Gen Zers say that they have consumed no alcohol in the last six months. 5  Drinking in general and overconsumption has fallen out of fashion with many in this age range.

💨 What has emerged as a rising trend is the use of marijuana and products containing THC, the primary mood-altering agent in marijuana. Instead of alcohol, Gen Z often tends toward what they’ve termed “California Sober,” in which they don’t drink but they use products with THC instead. For those who use marijuana in this way, they often see it as a way to improve their mental status, and to promote relaxation. 6  Around 70% of Gen Z say they prefer cannabis to alcohol. 7   If your primary concern for the young people in your life was about alcohol use, statistically it’s more likely they’ll be using marijuana-derived products over alcohol.

Even though Gen Z and Gen A may think of cannabis as a more healthy alternative to alcohol, growing research suggests there are significant risks. Three out of ten cannabinoid users develop an addiction to it. Regular use increases the risk of schizophrenia. While there has long been public awareness about the dangers of drunk driving, cannabinoids also impair driving ability. And now, a longitudinal study just released last month shows that teens who use cannabinoids regularly double their risk of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 8  Psychiatrist Dr. Ryan Sultan of Columbia University says, “This is very, very, very worrying. What we’re worried about [is if] you sort of get stuck in psychosis, it gets harder and harder to pull the person back. Psychosis and severe mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder are like seizures in your brain. They’re sort of neurotoxic to your brain, and so it seems to be associated with a more rapid deterioration of the brain.” 9 

❤️‍🔥 Another ‘traditional’ feature of college spring breaks gone by was dangerous sexual behavior. What does that look like with today’s generations of young people? Gen Z is the least sexually active generation than any modern recorded generation before it. Only a fraction of this population say they are celibate for religious faith reasons. Some of the reasons outside of faith practices are focused on relational health, such as developing deeper relationships before intimacy. However, there is growing concern that delaying marriage, digital and social media platforms replacing in person relationships, and pornography addiction are contributing factors. 

Here’s a stat that’s even more concerning about Gen Z in light of their decreased sexual activity. You would think that their incidents of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) would be lower, given their numbers overall. That’s not the case. Gen Z accounts for over half of all new STIs, even though they only make up 13% of the U.S. population and have the lowest frequency of sexual encounters. This means there is a significant gap in their understanding about the risks for STIs. 10 

What does this mean for you as you think about this spring break season and the conversation you want to have with your young adult child?

  • The spring break of your college years is likely not the one that’s on trend for them. This doesn’t mean that some of the same vices and poor choices aren’t on the menu. What it does mean is that you’ll want to adjust your understanding about what spring break looks like today, instead of speaking out of what it used to be like.
  • If drinking was the biggest issue in the spring breaks of lore, it’s not today’s top choice. Obviously the same dangers of overindulging remain as they’ve always been, the lowering of inhibitions, the danger to self and others, particularly with driving, the loss of control. But drinking might not be as big an issue with your young adult child’s peer group as it was in yours.
  • Cannabis use is far more mainstream and is often seen as safer. Which it’s not. It has many of the same dangers as alcohol, with the risks for significant issues like psychosis and bipolar disorder in the mix. You don’t have to make the argument; the science speaks for itself, beyond politics and moral convictions.
  • Even in a more celibate generation, the conversations about morals, ethics, and safety are just as important. The ramifications of sexual behavior on faith commitments, the risks for misunderstanding consent, particularly in situations that include drugs or alcohol, the addictive nature of online platforms, these are all important topics of discussion, especially if your college student is taking a spring break trip out of their usual routine or peer group.
  • Focus on the importance of health and long-term wellness body, mind, and soul when having these conversations. Your young adult is fast approaching the time in which they will be solely responsible for the health choices they make. This includes choices about how they take care of themselves physically and mentally. In a world of rising healthcare costs, personal culpability for how lifestyle choices impact medical dollars is very much in discussion. It’s part of equipping your child for an independent adulthood, for them to understand the financial implications of not taking care of themselves when it comes to substance use and sexual choices. (A quick reminder: if you’re an Altrua HealthShare Member and your young adult child is about to turn 23, it’s time to talk with a Member Services Representative to get them on their own membership. If you’re not yet a Member and would like to learn more about the affordable, flexible membership options available for sharing in medical costs through Altrua HealthShare, call 1-888-244-3839.)
  • Review the Statement of Standards. If you’re an Altrua HealthShare Member, review the Statement of Standards with your young adult child. The Altrua HealthShare Membership is made up of individuals who care for one another by sharing in each other’s eligible medical needs. Each Member agrees to live a healthy lifestyle and understands that certain medical needs that arise from unhealthy personal choices will not be shared in. This helps reinforce for your young adult child the importance of their choices, whether during spring break or at any time of the year.

As spring break is about to be sprung, use this as an opportunity to talk about healthy living with your college-age child. You’ll both be glad you did!

1  https://www.onlineschools.org/visual-academy/spring-break/
2  https://www.patpat.com/blogs/vacation/florida-family-vacation-march-disney-beaches?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=seo#:~:text=According%20to%20Visit%20Florida%2C%20the%20state%20welcomed,hunting%20for%20shells%20on%20Sanibel%20Island’s%20pristine
3  https://www.foxnews.com/travel/airlines-prepare-record-breaking-spring-break-travel-surge-americans-prioritize-experiences
4  https://time.com/7203140/gen-z-drinking-less-alcohol/
5  https://www.provi.com/blog/gen-z-drinking-habits-beverage-industry#:~:text=Consumption%20Patterns%20and%20Influences%20on,drink%20less%20than%20older%20generations.
6  https://www.vice.com/en/article/gen-zs-weed-habits-put-function-over-fun/#:~:text=According%20to%20data%20from%20Headset,I%20consume%20all%20day%2C%20nonstop.
7  https://sanctuarywellnessinstitute.com/blog/marijuana-statistics-use-by-generation/#:~:text=The%20survey%20of%201%2C000%20Americans,using%20it%20weekly%20or%20more.
8  https://www.npr.org/2026/02/21/nx-s1-5719338/cannabis-marijuana-weed-teens-psychosis-jama
9  https://www.npr.org/2026/02/21/nx-s1-5719338/cannabis-marijuana-weed-teens-psychosis-jama
10  https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/adolescent-sexual-and-reproductive-health/data-and-statistics-on-adolescent-sexual-and-reproductive-health#:~:text=Adolescent%20Sexually%20Transmitted%20Infections%20(STIs)%20and%20HIV&text=The%20human%20papillomavirus%20(HPV)%20is,not%20know%20their%20HIV%20status.